dru's book musing | The Stiletto Gang

What’s Next by Dru Ann Love

February 26, 2024/in Uncategorized/by Dru Ann Love

I co-wrote a short story. Have you read it?

What is next? People who have read our story asks, what are you writing next? My co-collaborator writes short stories and I’ve read one of them and he is quite good. As for me, I tried to think of something to write, but my mind is blank.

I will stick to reading books, unless an opportunity for me to collaborate with someone to write a short story happens again.

Other than that, I’m preparing for my first reader/fan convention that will happen at the end of April.

For writers, do you find it hard to come up with story ideas?

I Am A Published Author by Dru Ann Love

October 23, 2023/in Anthologies, Author Life, Dru Ann Love, Drus Book Musings/by Dru Ann Love

This is a short post while I recover from my recent surgery. It’s hard to sit at a desk when you can’t bend your knee or if you do “ouch.”

Bouchercon 2023

August 28, 2023/in Convention, Drus Book Musings/by Dru Ann Love

by Dru Ann Love

This week I’ll be in San Diego attending Bouchercon. It is a special occasion as I am Fan Guest of Honor. I was already Fan Guest of Honor at Malice in 2022 and Left Coast Crime earlier this year.

All three events were packed with obligation as being Fan Guest of Honor and I relished them. One of the things we had to partake in was an interview or an activity and we had to attend the banquet. There were other events that we had to partake in, but I can’t recall.

For Malice, Kristopher Zgorski of BOLO Books fame, penned my article for the program book. Heather Webber, wrote my article for Left Coast Crime program book. And Eleanor Cawood Jones wrote my article for Bouchercon.

I don’t think I did an activity for Malice, but for Left Coast Crime, with the help of Michael G. Mueller, I had a pub quiz based on Tucson and prior to getting on stage the helm the question, Michael and I did a little “western” skit with horses. We had a great time setting it up and then doing the skit.

For Bouchercon, I will be interviewed by Kristopher. Nervous, you betcha. But it should be fun.

If you are attending Bouchercon, you can find me at the 7:30am panel on Saturday, I’m moderating “Dru Ann and Friends, Talking About Books” and on Friday at 10:20am being interviewed by Kris. I will also be at the banquet. Oh I did submit something for the auction. But mostly I’ll be around, as much as I can with a scooter and my support cane.

I will find a corner and dub it “Dru’s corner.”

Will I see you there?

Coming Soon

April 24, 2023/in Drus Book Musings/by Dru Ann Love

I have nothing, so I’m re-capping a post from my dru’s book musings blog.

Weekend with Friends by Dru Ann Love

June 27, 2022/in Drus Book Musings, Uncategorized/by Dru Ann Love

by Dru Ann Love

Every year me and two of my friends plan a weekend getaway. We’ve been to Boston, Denver, Savannah, and most recently Memphis and Tennessee. Whatever is our destination, I always look to see if I have any author friends in the area and plan a lunch. I like to introduce them to the authors and the books they write. In most cases, they do tend to make a purchase or two.

This past weekend, we did the touristy things, Graceland, the National Civil Rights Museum, and the Peabody Hotel to see the ducks march to the fountain in Memphis and Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Johnny Cash Museum, and the Musicians Hall of fame. But the most entertaining activity was meeting the authors and one of them was Lois Winston. We picked the Margaritaville restaurant for lunch, but who knew they had live music that just never stopped. It was hard hearing conversations if you weren’t nearby. It was great seeing Lois and my other friends.

When you travel, do you seek out friends to visit?

Going in . . .by Dru Ann

April 25, 2022/in Drus Book Musings/by Dru Ann Love

This past month, I got on a plane or two or three to attend two reader/fan conventions.

First was to Albuquerque, New Mexico for the Left Coast Crime convention. This was the first time I was in a crowd of over 100 people. Was I anxious, yes, but that feeling of being among your tribe took over and except for a few blips, I had a wonderful time. In New Mexico, the mask wearing was optional. I wore my mask when I was in mixed company, meaning if I didn’t know three-quarters of the group, my mask went all. Hugs were plenty, but I asked before giving out hugs. I was on a panel “Decades of Books” and it was cool research books during a section decade. We received kudos for our panel. As for the airplane ride, mask was still mandatory, so I was feeling comfortable on my flight. Next year, Left Coast Crime will be in Tucson, Arizona where I will be Fan Guest of Honor.

Second trip was to Bethesda, Maryland for the Malice Domestic convention. This time the mask mandate was lifted, but I still wore my mask. My guess is that 75% still wore their mask. I was Fan Guest of Honor this year and moderated a panel “Writing a Series: Keeping it Fresh” with Edith Maxwell, Amanda Flower, Cheryl Hollon, SC Perkins, and Barbara Ross. After the panel, there were continual compliments on how well it went. At the banquet, after my speech, I was surprised when I received a standing ovation.

The best part of the month of April and attending these conventions, was I got to be with my crime fiction family after an absence of two years and it felt so good.

Expectations vs. Reality by Dru Ann Love

February 28, 2022/in Drus Book Musings/by The Stiletto Gang

When you pick up the first book in a series, you are introduced to the main protagonist, her friends, the small town that she lives in and the other residents that will come in and out of her daily life. Note: could also be a male protagonist as well.

We love the characters and the small-town atmosphere, and we love that she is probably besting the local police force in solving the crime. And now the murderer has been caught in this delightfully charming town that I want to move to.

Until book two, three, four and so forth. So how many more murders in this small-town that I’ve come to love will happen?

By now, the local cops may or may not seek out our protagonist to help solve the murder. Question of the day, why don’t they put her on retainer as a consultant? Why doesn’t she just join the police force? You know why? Because there would not be a next book.

And yet we continue to hope we see a murder in the early chapters of the book as we along with our favorite amateur sleuth, solve the case while we try to figure it out before she does. And still want to move to that small town.

These are little things I think about when I’m reading books in my favorite long-running series.

What about you? What do you think about when reading your series?

Caddyshack revisited by Dru Ann Love

August 23, 2021/in Drus Book Musings/by Dru Ann Love

We have pigeons. They can be annoying when they gather. Especially on my balcony railing.

I’ve tried everything. Shooing them off the balcony. Spritzing them with water. And yet the continue to land on my railing and make a mess. Now they come onto the balcony and walk around leaving a mess there as well. So the battle has begun in earnest.

Repellent ribbons, they worked well until rain caused the ribbons to shrivel up and lose their shine.

Repellent device #1, they did keep the pigeons away, but they made too much noise when it swung against the glass panel

Spinners, they worked fine until mother nature unleashed strong winds and spun my spinners from their pole into the ground below. Later I found remnants of my spinners.

Repellent device #2, same strong winds took these away as well.

Spikes, I took a gamble and bought these spikes. After losing the spinners, I put one strip up and watch a pigeon land on my railing, take a few steps and encountered my spikes and flew away. Victory, but now I have to wait to see what mother nature will do to these spikes before I put the rest down.